U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,965 and application Ser. No. 777,606, filed Mar. 15, 1977, disclose drilling mud degassing units in which the contaminated mud is centrifugally dispelled by an apertured, rotary body through a degasser chamber. Impeller blades or vanes adjacent the central inlet of the suction pump which evacuates the chamber, tend to direct liquid and solid constituents away from the pump inlet, while having little or no effect upon the gaseous constituents which are drawn into the pump or blower inlet. As the suction applied to the degassing chamber is increased to improve the liquid-gas separation, the tendency of liquid droplets to enter the pump inlet is also increased.
Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to further improve upon the liquid-gas separation in a degasser of the type disclosed in said patent and application, by increasing the depression in the suction or vacuum chamber while, at the same time, substantially increasing the mechanical gas-liquid separation to more effectively prevent the drawing of liquids into the suction pump and the discharge of gases with the cleaned mud.
Another object is to reduce the size of the degasser unit by constructing the contaminated mud discharge openings closer to the suction inlet than heretofore.
Still another object is to provide for gas discharge from the outer portion of the degassing chamber.